I HATE MYSELF AND WANT TO DIE is playing at SBIFF (Santa Barbara International Film Festival), and I had the opportunity to see an early look – here’s my Spoiler Free take:
Try to buckle your “seatbelt” for an extremely dark, awkward comedy from writer/director J. Davis. The best comedies rely on timing and chemistry, and I HATE MYSELF AND WANT TO DIE has several laugh-out-loud moments thanks to the lead actors.
Those actors are:
- Mike Castle is Jacob, the empathetically sad protagonist who wants to kill themselves.
- Ali Gallo is Hayley, his hilarious, too-smart-for-her-age cousin going through some growing pains.
- Andre Hyland is Russell, the stoner best friend who’s easily the film’s MVP and should garner the attention of studios for more side-kick roles.
I HATE MYSELF AND WANT TO DIE has the indie-film vibe that theatres are missing. The majority of it takes place over 24 hours, where a bunch of haphazard events take a wrong turn (think AFTER HOURS) that leads to each character’s emotional growth. The car in the movie physically becomes a plot mechanism as the characters move forward in Lancaster as we discover a little bit of vodka and marijuana help to see things more clearly.
So gather some “boxed wine” and a few friends to laugh, live, and discover the indie gem – I HATE MYSELF AND WANT TO DIE.